Debt Departure

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Have you met Catherine?

I’m Catherine Nikkel, 33 years old from Toronto, Canada. I am a mother, full time child and youth worker, blogger and spend free time creating income from home via the internet with a home based business.

Why did you start blogging about personal finance?

I started blogging, and writing content articles for Personal Finance in 2012 where I was at one of my lowest points financially. I had found I was tired of robbing Peter to pay Paul, and want a change, a break, a chance. I wrote about my struggles, and share my successes to inspire others to decide to take ownership of their finances and ultimately their lives too.

Which part of financial literacy do you focus on most?

First and foremost budgeting - a budget gives you real, tangible numbers to work with and plan accordingly. If based on the income earned, allows for additional savings - then absolutely that should be a focus for times that things may not be as stable, or an extra expense surprises you. Paying off debt (and I will be debt free October 2015) has been the most rewarding experience (outside of being a mother!) of my life.

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

I decided in April 2012 while I sat crying in the bank managers office because I was denied another consolidation loan. This was one of the lowest points of my life. I decided at that moment I was better than this, I was resourceful, and I needed to make a change.

What was your biggest financial success?

I will be completely debt free October 2015.

What keeps you motivated?

What keeps me motivated is my son, because he deserves the very best including the best of his mother emotionally. Another motivating factor for me, is sharing my story with others to inspire them to make the same change.

What applications do you use for personal finance?

Simply enough, I use an agenda with a spreadsheet attached to the beginning of every month. I record additional outside the budget purchases on a side panel of the weekly pages. Tax purposes, I use an application called TaxBot.

If you could go back in time what would you do differently to better your financial future?

I would stay away from credit as much as possible - I found the banks love to give more the more you owe. I realized I would use my credit cards to gain points, etc despite having cash in my accounts or wallet. I was a mother at a young age (16) and wish I had known far more about money, real practical money - things I believe the school curriculums should consider earlier on.

What are your favorite blogs?

My favourite blogs are written by Gary Vaynerchuk, GEM (start up), Free Range Kids, and really anything small business, social media related I can lay my eyes on!

Do you have a side hustle?

I am a Network Marketing professional that I earn monthly residual income from based on a lucrative, global compensation plan. I also do content writing/ghost writing for other bloggers and authors.

What is one piece of advice you want people to take away from your experience?

Stay consistent and resourceful - there is an end in sight. Be informed as a parent, consumer, etc of sales, deals, free activities, etc. Take advantage of help offered to you - Pride won’t help you become debt free, and financially aware, but it will help you later to encourage others to stay the course.

Where can people learn more about you or follow you?

People can connect with me on social media and connect with me on my own blog at www.90daysinmyshoes.com.

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June-July Update: Still fighting the good fight

$977.62, that’s what I paid towards my debt over the last two months. I’m happy with that number and if I keep going at that pace I will meet my debt payoff date of December, 2016. On the other hand, I think I can do better. Currently I’m at about $500 a month towards debt payments. I want to increase this to $600.

June-July by the Numbers

Debt Paid: $977.62

Current Savings:

Wells Fargo: $288.14

Digit: $203.53

Current Investments:

Options House: $615.94

Acorns: $272.37

The Last Two Months

Unlike May, the last two months have been fairly uneventful. My car is holding up well and I didn’t have any unplanned expenses. I toned down on the social outings and was able to use that extra money to pay down my debt.

My Plan Is Working

It’s working, my debt is decreasing faster now than any time in my past. It’s awesome to watch the numbers get smaller and smaller. It’s not fun and it’s not sexy but being debt free will be.

Take Action

Myself and others over at /r/debtfree are setting monthly goals to keep ourselves accountable. If you’d like to join in you can get started here. You could win a personal finance book by meeting your goals.

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Have you met MJ?

In the personal finance community, I go by MJ - which are the initials to my first and middle names. I'm about to turn 40, and I live in Ohio with my two rescued dogs. I volunteer for conservation and preservation organizations. I consider myself a pancake connoisseur.

When did you start blogging about personal finance?

I started blogging about PF in January 2015 at my computer in Ohio. I'm brand new! I knew that I wanted to start focusing on making big payments toward my student loans, and I needed a way to keep myself accountable. I'd been reading Wise Bread for years, and lurking on other PF blogs off and on, so I had an idea of how I wanted to frame it.

What are your favorite blogs?

Well, now that I've been actively blogging and engaging with other bloggers for six months or so, there are so many blogs that I love! I regularly read Dear Debt, The Debt Myth, Making Sense of Cents, Budgets Are Sexy, Budget and the Beach...but I also read Yes & Yes, Brevity Magazine's blog, xojane, Post Everything... the list goes on and on.

Which part of financial literacy do you focus on most?

I focus on paying off student loan debt. That includes budgeting, saving money, and earning more money, of course. I focus on student loan debt because I have it. And I don't want it. But it is part of my story - whether I like it or not. I decided to embrace it, because its essentially a tool at my disposal. The story of how I accumulated the debt - and how I'm paying it off - is useful. It's also empowering.

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

I think there are two phases here:

In 2013 when I decided to declare bankruptcy, and...

At the end of 2014 when I decided to focus on paying off my student loans. After I declared bankruptcy, I started reading more about underearning, which I'd been doing, and how to overcome it. I started building an emergency fund. And, I took a long hard look at my life in the summer of 2014 to be sure I wanted to keep doing the work I was doing. I investigated a few new careers, and even went so far as to get offered a full ride to study one subject at the graduate level. In the end, I decided I wanted to stay on my current career path, but change my attitude and treat it a little differently. I did, and things opened way up. A new opportunity fell in my lap. It was because of that opportunity that I started entertaining the idea of paying off the loans. By the end of 2014, I was taking on extra work, selling stuff on Craigslist, and brainstorming blog names.

What was your biggest financial success?

Honestly, I'd say it's the current progress I've made on paying off my loans. I started with a balance of $47,554 and in eight months I've paid off $31,500. As I'm writing this, my current balance is $16,054, and I intend to make a $3,000ish payment next month. That's my biggest financial success.

What keeps you motivated?

Personal finance blogs. Seeing my progress. The gratitude I feel. The new opportunities that have come my way. Oh, and my very specific set of dreams. I know what I want, and I know my priorities. I didn't for a long time. I let too much of life just "happen." Once I started declaring what I wanted, my life has started to take a more defined shape.

What applications do you use for personal finance?

Mint and Digit. I love Mint, because I can see it on my phone every morning and practice gratitude for the declining balance AND for the amount in my emergency fund. I love Digit because it's very hands off. I don't even think about it. I haven't missed any of the money it's saved me in the last few months. I'm trying to avoid looking at it until the end of the year to see how much it accumulates.

If you could go back in time what would you do differently to better your financial future?

I would not have cashed out all my retirement funds from various jobs in an attempt to pay down my credit card debt! I mean, I cashed out so many. I miss that money. I wouldn't feel so far behind today. Last summer, I was working a temporary job, and one of the younger girls was talking about cashing out a retirement fund to pay for some travel she wanted to do. I was like, "NOOOOO." There are plenty of other ways to fund the travel - and I don't mean on credit. I'm all for traveling. I do think it's necessary if you have any interest in it at all. But, keep your hands off your retirement accounts, folks.

On one of your recent posts you write about disrupting your comfort zone, can you touch on that briefly?

I'll never forget the first time I heard the phrase, "disrupting your comfort zone." A colleague introduced me to Brian Grazer's This I Believe essay with the same title. He talks about the need to consistently disrupt your comfort zone in order to grow. I was still actively moving myself from state to state and doing everything I could to overcome some residual shyness. The essay resonated, and I never forgot it. I recently made a VERY big payment to my loans, and it made me VERY uncomfortable. Yet, it made a huge difference. I realized something about my comfort zone then: disrupting it doesn't always mean making huge moves. You can disrupt it in small ways, too. And that will make a difference. You've got to step outside your comfort zone to grow. Period.

What's keeping you from revealing your full name and identity on your blog?

Well, I originally wanted to stay semi-anonymous because I was afraid that one of my employers might see that I'm sharing my income on Payment Days. I thought that might upset someone, even though I don't reveal any employer by name, it would be easy enough to find out who they are by searching for my name. I'm starting to rethink this decision, though,because I want to be transparent and be myself with PF community. I also want to write for other sites... I know other bloggers who share income reports who have their full names on their sites. And yet J. Money from Budgets Are Sexy stays anonymous because he's sharing net worth. There are pros and cons to both staying anonymous and revealing yourself, I suppose. If anyone has any advice on this matter, please email me or offer it up on Twitter.

Where can people learn more about you or follow you?

You can find me on my site, Dream Beyond Debt. Email me at dreambeyonddebt (at) gmail (dot) com. My Twitter handle is @dreambeyonddebt. Sometimes, one of my posts makes its way to Rockstar Finance.

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I Have a Confession to Make

The Red Bar Of Shame

So there I was, minding my own business, browsing my monthly budget on Mint when I notice the big red bar of shame in the sporting goods category. The red bar of shame is Mint’s fancy way of letting me know I’m a loser and I went over on my budget.

I see the red bar of shame fairly often but in most cases I’m just a few dollars over on one or two budget categories. This time there was no denying my failure. I had spent four times the allotted amount for that category, ouch! This made my fast food slip up look petty.

My New Addiction

A few months ago I was outside chatting with my friend and he was showing me his latest pocket knife purchase. He told me that he carries one everyday and how useful it is. The knife he showed me was beautiful, it had a blade style that is unique to that brand and carbon fiber grips. He handed it to me and I started to mess around with it, trying to flick it open. The knife was the perfect size to carry in your pocket. It was small enough to wear comfortably and large enough to be useful when it was needed for some real work.

I was so impressed with the craftsmanship and look of the knife I had to have one of my own. My friend recommended I check out bladehq.com if I wanted to buy a knife. I spent the next week looking for the perfect folding knife that I could carry everyday. I figured I would buy a quality knife for my first purchase as I didn’t want a junker right out of the gate. Fast forward a month and I’m the proud owner of not one but four shiny new pocket knives!

I Was Warned This Would Happen

When I first became interested in knives my friend warned me that his knife collecting habit had become rather expensive. I was also warned by the fine folks over at /r/knifeclub on Reddit. I started following that sub to get an idea of what knives I would like and to read opinions on them. I would comment on a post and they would reply with comments like, “say goodbye to your hard earned cash.” and “this is just the beginning, it gets worse.” I really should have taken their words seriously.

What I Learned From This

I lack self control when it comes to buying items that really interest me, I become almost obsessed over them.

Impulse buying is rarely satisfying. I could have saved the money on the impulse buys and got the knife I really wanted rather than three low quality knifes that are only mildly satisfying.

I don’t really “need” it. Although I really love the knives I purchased I would get by just fine without them.

Budgets are in place for a reason. I could have and should have purchased one quality knife and spent the rest of that money paying down my debt.

What Are Your Impulse Buys?

If you are anything like me you have a weakness, a kryptonite that wreaks havoc on your budget. I’ve shared mine and now it’s time for you to share yours in the comments section below.

P.S. Stay up to date on my latest posts and weekly P.F. blogger interviews. Join the newsletter and never miss a thing.

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The Debt Monster

When I was young I was convinced that there was a monster living under my bed. It only existed at night and I was never brave enough to get a good look at it. I remember being too scared to even try for fear that it was hiding under there ready to snatch me up. There were times I chose to stay in bed despite how badly I needed to use the bathroom.

Well now that I’m a grown a$$ man, I know how ridiculous that is, everyone knows monsters aren’t real!

The Debt Monster is Real

Monsters don’t die easily but they can be killed if you know their weakness. A werewolf can be killed with a sliver bullet, a vampire with a wooden stake through the heart and a zombie by decapitation.  A debt monster’s weakness is money, the more you feed it the less powerful it becomes. I’ve outlined a few steps to help prepare you for battle. Remember that a debt monster can only be killed when it’s eaten every last dollar it gave to you in the past... plus interest.

How to Kill a Monster Debt Monster: Revised Edition

Wooden stake through the heart

Feed the debt monster at least once a month

Shoot with a silver bullet

Feed on time

Decapitate

Feed the debt monster more than the recommended serving size

Cleanse with fire

Create a feeding schedule

Blow it up

Feed the monster that costs you the most

I know, I know, that was a silly post but I sure had fun writing it. I hope you enjoyed it too.

You’ve made it to the end of another post, congratulations! You have a few options here. You can go on with your day like nothing ever happened or you can go feed your debt monster. The choice is yours.

While you are at it be sure leave a comment below, follow the blog or subscribe to the mailing letter. I promise I’ll only send you the best content.

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Have you met Melanie?

Hi! I'm Melanie Lockert, a freelance writer, editor, and social media manager. I'm 30 years old and working on becoming debt-free in the next year. I love connecting people, coffee, and karaoke.

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

I've been a work in progress my whole life with my finances, but I'd say I really decided to take control of everything the day I started my blog in January 2013. I was sick and tired of feeling helpless, so I decided to take action.

When did you start your personal finance blog?

I started blogging in January 2013 during one of the darkest periods of my life. For a year prior to that, I was struggling to find full-time work and felt consumed by my debt. The year before that, I had graduated with my master's from NYU with $68,000 left in debt.

Moving to another city and being unable to find work in my field -- or any well-paying work at all, was massively frustrating for me. My work was so tied with my self-worth, that I felt really depressed at the time. I felt like I was drowning in debt with no good options to pay it back. After being upset for a year, I decided that I needed to channel that energy into something positive.

So I started my blog to keep myself accountable to paying off debt and improving my life. And now it's turned into a career! My blog has been the best thing that ever happened to me.

Which part of financial literacy do you focus on most?

I focus primarily on getting out of debt and saving, mostly because that is what I'm dealing with. I like to say that my blog is more PERSONAL finance, than just finance with a dash of personal. I think it's so important to rid yourself of debt, so that you can really go after what you want in life.

What are your favorite blogs?

I love Budget and the Beach, Financially Blonde, Oh She Glows, Art of Non-Conformity, and Awesomely Luvvie.

What was your biggest financial success?

Paying off $10,000 in debt in one year, when I was making $12 per hour. It took a lot of work, and I also used some savings, but I did it.

What keeps you motivated?

Travel keeps me motivated. Every day I dream of where I want to go next. It's terrible! But I'm more inspired than ever after a two-week trip to Spain and Portugal. I'm also inspired by the idea of being relaxed. I worry quite a bit about money sometimes, so I want to build my financial future around not worrying.

What applications do you use for personal finance?

I use Mint for tracking my spending/budgeting and I use Capital One 360 for all my targeted savings goals.

If you could go back in time what would you do differently to better your financial future?

Start saving for retirement when I was 17 and I just started working.

What does money represent to you?

Money represents freedom, travel, happiness, greed, confusion, jealousy, and separation. It has a complicated meaning for me. Every day I try to use money for good and focus on improving my money mindset.

Where can people learn more about you or follow you?

People can check out my blog at DearDebt.com (and write a breakup letter of their own!). I'm at @DearDebtBlog on Twitter.

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Jason 6, Burnout 1

I didn’t think it would happen so soon. Four months in and I started loosing my spark. I was having a hard time motivating myself to write about my financial journey and an even harder time sticking to the budget I’d laid out.

I’m not one to make excuses but the last couple months have been very difficult and it definitely had an impact on my motivation. Life has a funny way of reminding you that there are some things you can’t control. My car has been showing it’s age and I’ve had to repair it twice recently. A two year relationship came to an end and I made the decision to move out. My new place is great and the rent is quite a bit cheaper but the commute is a killer.

Focus on the positive

As much as I want to be a whiny baby and write about all the things that didn’t go my way, I’m choosing to focus on the good things. Here’s the silver lining to all this mess.

One of my articles was featured on Rockstar Finance - This was the coolest thing that’s happened to me since I started Debt Departure. The site traffic went through the roof and I got a good amount of new readers and subscribers to the mailing list.

J. Money gave me a shout out on Budgets Are Sexy - Again, this was great for the site and it just felt good to be recognized by such an influential blogger in the personal finance world.

My business question was featured on Ask Pat - Ask Pat is one of my favorite podcasts and is a great resource to grow a blog or online business. I submitted a question and was lucky enough to have it answered on the podcast. I get a free Ask Pat t-shirt and the blog mention was great too.

Fizzle.co contacted me and wants to do a story on me - Fizzle.co is business that helps other entrepreneurs start and grow their business. This could be a very good thing for the blog and I’m looking forward to what they have planned.

I’ve successfully automated part of my savings and investments - My Digit.co savings is up to $123.60 and my Acorns investments are up to $207.32.

I’ve automated my bill payments - Using auto pay has saved me from missing payments and paying late fees. I’ve also set them to pay more than the minimum so I’m always making headway on my debt.

Too many good things have happened lately to be down about my shortcomings. I’m learning that this journey to financial freedom will most likely be like a roller coaster and I’ll have to live with the ups and downs. I’m okay with that. Onward and upward!

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Pay yourself first... I get it now.

Every financial book I’ve ever read says I should “pay myself first” and until a few weeks ago I don’t think I fully understood what that meant. This phrase is usually used in the context of investing or saving money and for some reason I didn’t relate it to paying off my debt.

I wasn’t paying myself first

It’s true, when it comes to paying off my debt I wasn’t paying myself first. I figured out my budget, knew how much money would be left over at the end of the month and payed what I had left towards my debt. The problem with this method is that before the end of the month rolls around I had usually spent more than intended. If the money is there it can easily be spent and I’m weak.

How I should have been doing things

I have a pretty solid budget and I know how much money is coming in and where the money is going out. My budget tells me exactly how much I can pay towards debt and how much I can spend on my other necessities. From this day forward I’m going to start paying myself first. The money is there and if I use it first to pay down debt I won’t be tempted to spend it on other things.

Live and learn

I know this seems very simple and maybe you figured this out early. I’m not sure what my mental hang-up was or why this took me so long to get right. Maybe I was in denial and didn’t want to see those large chunks of money just vanish out of my checking account. I have to keep in mind that the money is not vanishing and with every large payment towards my debt, I’m one step closer to being financially free.

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Have you met Michael?

I’m Michael Gardon, 34, husband, father of 2, current manager of The Simple Dollar, and I'm doing Ironman Wisconsin this year!

When did you start blogging about Personal Finance?

About 2 years ago when I first started working for The Simple Dollar.

What are your favorite blogs?

Farnamstreet, hands down the best on the internet.

Which part of financial literacy do you focus on most?

When Trent Hamm started this blog, it was really raw and all encompassing. He does a great job of putting it all together: paying off debt, budgeting and why frugality is important. I mean, it shows in every way, the guy literally dug himself out of a hole and changed the course of his life. Since I was never personally in that situation, I just really try to honor that mentality (through the blog) that anyone can turn their finances around. I personally, am interested in automating my finances, and ways to invest/diversify income streams.

When did you decide to take control of your finances, why?

I was lucky that I was taught about how money works at an early age. Saving, living within my means has always been a part of my life. In my 20's I really discovered investing - stock market and alternative investments like real estate.

What was your biggest financial success?

I made a good living in my mid 20's, and since then I've made a few career transitions. My biggest financial success is that I was able to set myself up and hang onto those funds through the ups and downs of "trial and error entrepreneurship" while growing a family and shouldering all the responsibilities that that entails.

What keeps you motivated?

New challenges - I love trying to figure out new things. To me that's what life is about, and you're not really living unless you're learning.

What applications do you use for personal finance?

All my bills are set up for auto pay off a credit card (for points) or my bank account auto bill pay if I can't use a credit card. I use Mint.com to constantly track my spending, net worth, liquid net worth and net income. Those are the metrics that matter most to me. I use TD Ameritrade for my short term stock and options trading while I leave my long term retirement accounts to Betterment.

If you could go back in time what would you do differently?

Hindsight is always 20/20, but I wouldn't have bought my first house in 2008! After that, I'd have started investing even earlier.

What is the hardest thing about personal finance?

Personal finance is highly individual. Still, figuring out what changes need to be made is easy, it’s creating the will to make the right changes that is the hard part.

Where can people learn more about you?

Please visit, The Simple Dollar.

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May Update: Better Late Than Never.

Onward, my Trusty Steed!

May was an interesting and busy month which kept me on my toes. My car broke down while I was in Northern California for a yearly family gathering. The repairs were fairly easy so I did them myself but the new alternator and battery set me back a few simoleons. Thankfully the Saturn lives to drive another day. Onward, my trusty steed! The gathering was great, I ate too much, drank too much and didn’t spend nearly enough time in the pool.

Unplanned Move

I had to make some really difficult life choices this month as well. I decided to move from San Jose to Hayward in the Bay Area. It’s about the same distance to work but I now have to commute across a toll bridge 5 days a week. The rent is much cheaper so I’m still ahead money wise. This was an unplanned move so I had to pay rent on both places during the transition.

May by the Numbers

Debt Paid in May: $225.79 <-------- LAME!

Money Invested in May:

OptionsHouse:  $277.52

Acorns: $69.31

Money Saved in May:

Wells Fargo Savings: $260.56

Digit Savings: $56.11

As you can see I didn’t pay nearly as much towards debt as I would’ve liked. On the brighter side, I didn’t have to dip into savings or use credit to stay afloat. Even with these setbacks the future is looking bright. I’m sure next months update will be even better.

The “About” page has more details for those who are curious.

Paying off debt takes time and motivation. Join the newsletter and let me be that friendly kick in the butt to help keep you motivated.

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Have you met Jackie?

My name's Jackie Beck. I'm a 47-year-old mom of one grown-up son, and I live in Arizona with my husband and our puppy. I love travel, travel, and travel. My absolute favorite place on earth -- so far at least -- is Antarctica. It's the definition of awesome! Just amazing. And the penguins are adorable.

When and why did you start blogging?

I first started blogging anonymously about personal finance back in 2006 because I wanted (and needed!) to both learn more about money and to improve my writing. In 2011, I focused in on TheDebtMyth.com. I want to help people see that debt is NOT forever. You absolutely can get free!

Which part of financial literacy do you focus on most?

Getting out of debt, for sure! My husband and I paid off over $147,000 in debt -- including our house -- and are completely debt free now. It is such an amazing feeling and I want that for everyone who is remotely interested! We're able to do things because we want to do them now. We're not stuck earning money to pay for things we may no longer even have, or trapped in jobs we don't enjoy.

Did you learn any lessons along the way while paying off debt?

The biggest lesson was that I'd been making excuses. I'd borrow money for "emergencies", never thinking that I had another choice. The thing is, there's always a choice. Once I stopped assuming that life would go perfectly money-wise and started finding alternatives to borrowing, things got a whole lot better.

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

The day my ex and I divorced it hit me that the only person I could count on to take care of myself and my then-young son was me, so I'd better get my financial act together pronto. That's what promoted me to create my first-ever emergency fund and to start getting a clue.

What was your biggest financial blunder?

I have to pick one? Borrowing money in the first place would be at the top. Or maybe spending my retirement savings. Or not building an emergency fund sooner. There are plenty to choose from.

What keeps you motivated?

When we were getting out of debt, imagining and talking about what life would be like once we were debt free really kept me motivated. I could just feel it. Turns out, it feels even better than I'd imagined.

What applications do you use for personal finance?

I use Quicken to reconcile my accounts, and OpenOffice's spreadsheet application to track my spending. When we were paying off our mortgage I used Pay Off Debt (the smart phone app I'd created) to stay motivated and track our progress.

What are your favorite blogs?

There are a few. Surviving and Thriving, because Donna writes so well and has interesting stories. (I'm sure there are better ways to say that. If I got off my rear and took her Write a Blog People Will Read course I'd be able to express it better.) Luke1428 for several of the same reasons + Brian's point of view on money and the interaction in the comments. Yellow Brick Home because they're working on re-doing an old house in an artful way, and I enjoy DIY.

What is one piece of advice you could give to somebody wanting to take control of their finances?

You can do it! Start with whatever feels doable or least-intimidating to you and go from there. I started with tracking my spending on the back of a receipt, and I can't begin to tell you what an immediate difference that made.

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The value of a dollar... or in this case, two

I've made some bonehead mistakes in my life and I made one of my biggest when I was an early teen. I was really into baseball cards in the early 90′s and there was a great little store my brother and I would visit to get new packs of Topps baseball cards. I might have been more excited about the gum at that time than the actual baseball cards.

It’s only a few bucks

One of the problems with being a young teen is you usually don’t have your own money. You see, I really wanted those baseball cards and I was going to get them. I don’t recall who came up with the brilliant idea to steal money from my dads lock box but it made perfect sense at the time, and after all it was only a few measly $2 bills.

Our plan was awesome and we were convinced even if we did get caught it would be no big deal because it was only a few bucks. We strolled happily to the store with our freshly acquired greenbacks tucked away in our pockets. I remember browsing the baseball card isle making sure to pick the packs with bubble gum inside.

My brother and I placed the baseball cards on the counter at the register and the clerk told us the total. We happily handed over a few $2 bills to pay for our new loot. I remember the clerk asking us if we really wanted to spend the $2 bills. Before we were even out the door I had the gum in my mouth and I was shuffling through the cards, it was a great day.

Lessons in value

A few days passed and my brother and I thought we were in the clear. We had our baseball cards and dad didn't seem to notice the missing $2 bills. After work that day my dad seemed upset and called my brother and I to the living room for a talk. This was rare and we knew at that moment we were busted. We sat on the couch in fear, the look on my dads face was terrifying. I could tell he was really mad. He looked right at us and asked, “Who took my $2 bills?”

I quickly fessed up and shouldered the blame. For some reason I always tried to protect my little brother even though I knew it would cost me. My dad was pissed and quickly let me know what I had done was a huge mistake.

Apparently those measly $2 bills weren't just standard tender. They were super rare silver certificates worth a few hundred dollars a piece, whoops! To make matters worse they were sentimental to my dad because they were given to him by his father, double whoops!

That day I learned an important lesson about stealing and I also learned about value. I learned that a $2 bill could be worth $300.

Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself

Thinking back on this made me realize why my dad was holding onto these rare $2 bills. They were sentimental and also worth much more than the face value, they had increase in value over time. This is what I mean by “treat yourself”.

I can think of no better way to treat yourself than to secure your financial future. Have you heard that saying “Pay yourself first”? That means you need to invest in yourself and your future first. You really don’t NEED the latest iPhone. If you really can’t live without it you should prove it by saving the money up first, and then buying it with cold hard cash. Under no circumstances should you ever put something like this on your credit card.

Here are some tips to start treating yourself today. I recommend doing these in order. Go ahead, get started, I’ll wait. If you need help on any of these topics just leave a comment and I’d be glad to help you get started.

Figure out your cash flow, I’ll even share my spreadsheet with you.

Create a budget that works for you, I use Mint for easy budgeting.

Use the extra money from budgeting to pay more on your debt.

Start an emergency fund, I recommend Digit for automated savings.

Educate yourself about money and personal finance, I read many blogs and listen to a lot of audio books.

Start investing, educate first, then invest, don’t be a dummy.

Don’t stop, make this your new lifestyle.

If you enjoyed this story be sure to sign-up to the newsletter. Go ahead, all the cool kids are doing it.

[debtdeparture]

Have you met Brian?

I’m Brian and I run Debt Discipline. I’m 45 years old and a father of 3 teenagers. My family and I live in New York. I work in IT and my wife works in retail. We are a close family who loves to make each other laugh.

When and why did you start blogging?

I started Debt Discipline in August of 2013. It was a good way to hold myself and family accountable as we paid off our $109K worth of debt.

Which part of financial literacy do you focus on most?

For a good period of time it was debt, because for 50 months that was our focus. Now that we are debt free I cover more topics. We are currently in wealth building mode so I cover post on those topics. But in general I cover a wide variety of topics at Debt Discipline.

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

We had a rock-bottom moment in the summer of 2010. We were planning our summer vacation but had no cash and had maxed our available credit. I tried to get a credit increase to cover the vacation but was unable too. I realized that was the best thing to happen to us. From that point on we began to educate ourselves about money and change our bad behaviors.

What was your biggest financial blunder?

Following everyone else, not thinking for ourselves. We just fell into the same line of thinking because we didn't know any better. We’ll get a 30 year mortgage because that what everyone else does. Everyone had credit card debt, so we just use them to pay for dinner this one time. Rinse and repeat for over 15 years and you end up with over 6 figures in debt.

What keeps you motivated?

My three children. I want them to know more about personal finance than I ever did at their age. As they begin their financial lives I want them to be on the right track, understand its okay to talk about money and that they can follow their own path.

What are your favorite blogs?

I read many. Some current favorites include Enemy of Debt, Even Steven Money, Budgets are $exy, Prudence Debt-Free, and Frugalwoods. It’s an incredible community with great content being posted each and everyday.

What apps do you use for personal finance?

I’m a spreadsheet guy. I still like figuring out my numbers in excel. I've looked at a number of apps, like YNAB, Mint, etc, but just always end up back to excel.

What is one piece of advice you would give to somebody wanting to take control of their finances?

Start today! The sooner you can start the better. No matter what your income or amount of debt it can be done. It will mean sacrifice and hard work, but the end goal of being debt free is so worth it. It reduces stress, and improves relationships in your life.

What’s the future hold for Debt Discipline?

I’m trying to spread the word of financial literacy. I have been successful in kicking off a program at my company after contacting my CEO. I have joined a committee on my local school board and we are in the process of bringing financial education throughout the district.  I’m on the lookout for more opportunities to spread the word everyday.

Where can people find out more about you?

More information is available at Debt Discipline.

[debtdeparture]

Have you met Katie?

I met Katie on /r/debtfree while searching Reddit for subs related to debt and money management. The sub seemed dead and I made a post there suggesting we bring it back to life. Katie replied showing some interest so we took over moderation and it’s been growing steadily ever since. Here’s more about Katie.

Who are you?

Katie, 27, I'm from New Zealand, working in the Civil Engineering industry and have a mountain of debt to conquer. I come from a country of famous mountaineers (Edmund Hillary, anyone?) so I'm well placed to be conquering this particular mountain!

Why did you start blogging?

I'm sick of all the blogs that show these picture perfect lives. I wanted to show the flip-side of that, while poking fun at myself.

What are your favorite blogs?

Sprinkle Bakes (Sucker for the gorgeous desserts), Hyperbole and a Half - not sure if this counts as a blog, but it's amazing! Debt Departure (naturally). Most of the other blogs I follow are local New Zealand ones.

Where do you focus your financial energy?

Definitely debt and budgeting. I'd be lost without YNAB at the moment!

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

It's been a long time coming and in Feb/Mar of this year, I decided I was sick of having almost 10 years worth of accumulated debt hanging over my head. I made a plan, contacted the bank and they gave me an amazing deal to help me pay it off faster!

What was your biggest financial blunder?

Getting a credit card? That's probably been the hardest to deal with. I can't be trusted with revolving credit it seems. I've spent a lot of money on a lot of silly things. I can't even account for half of the stuff that has ended up in my debt pile.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to others?

Shop around, get yourself better interest rates. When one bank heard I was leaving them for another bank they offered to match the deal I was getting at the new bank, just to retain me. Banks want to make money of your debt and will happily renegotiate just to keep you.

What is the first thing you'll save for when you're finally debt free?

That answer is easy! A nice long holiday!! Preferably somewhere in Europe, during summer, with endless sunshine, gorgeous beaches and delicious food.

Where can people find out more about you?

http://katiebell.me

[debtdeparture]

Have you met Josh?

My name is Josh, I am 27.  I live in Oregon, work 7 days a week to kill my debt, and I enjoy travel.

Why did you start blogging?

I started blogging late in 2014 when I started traveling across the country.  I used tumblr as a way to tell the stories I was experiencing day in and day out as a trekked across the country.

What are your favorite blogs?

I follow a lot of travel blogs like travel-junkies and traveling vanilla bean but spend most of my time interacting with people in similar financial situations like a-life-less-stressed and fromdebttodreams;

Where do you focus your financial energy?

I mostly focus on paying of debt.  Budgeting and frugality are tools to get to the end goal which for me is being debt free.

When did you decide to take control of your finances?

I consider myself a traveler before all else.  My problem has been that I always need to end my trips to come home and deal with my fiduciary responsibilities, and I don't want that burden anymore.  So I have decided to work until the debt is gone and I can be free.

What was your biggest financial blunder?

Easy.  My biggest financial blunder was going back to school online instead of in classroom.  It was far more expensive and I went to a for-profit university. Shortly after "Graduating" the school went bankrupt and I have been unable to find my transcripts but I still owe on the student loans. Around $17,000 for a 2 year degree....ridiculous.

What does blogging mean to you?

Blogging is a way to hold myself accountable and to talk about this very private subject in a public way.  It lets me vent without complaining, to express myself without embarrassing myself, and to be an example for others who are struggling without having to be a role model.

What is one piece of advice you’d give to others?

Chart your progress and build a support group.

What keeps you motivated?

Where can people find out more about you?

People can visit me at my blog, howabouttheroad.

[debtdeparture]

How to save money

I love technology almost as much as I love saving money. Technology put us on the moon, technology keeps our beer cold and technology keeps us earth people connected to one another. Technology also provides us ways to save money that just didn't exist ten years ago. I want to share some money saving tips that I use and how technology plays into that.

Ways to save money

Change cell phone carriers - One of the easiest ways to save money is by switching to a low cost cell phone carrier. I switched to T-Mobile several years ago and save about $30 a month. There are other carriers that can save you even more money.

T-Mobile - The oldest of the three and the most conventional but still cheaper than Verizon and AT&T. As of 2011, J. D. Power and Associates ranked the company highest among major wireless carriers for retail-store satisfaction four years consecutively and highest for wireless customer care two years consecutively. Also, their CEO is a nut... in a good way.

Ting - Launched in 2012, they utilize the Sprint backbone and you only pay for what you use. The average customer saves $37.57 per device a month.

Republic Wireless - Launched in 2011. They use a hybrid system that saves you money by using WiFi when available. When WiFi is not an option Republic Wireless utilizes the Sprint backbone.

Cancel your landline phone - Let’s be honest, that phone is most likely just collecting dust and costing you money. If for some reason you can’t part with that antiquated piece of tech there is another option that can save you money.

Ooma Telo - A free Voice over IP (VoIP) phone service. It requires broadband internet and a one-time purchase of their equipment. Even with the up-front cost this free service can save you tons of money.

Ditch the Cable or Satellite TV - Why pay for all those channels when you can stream almost everything you want for a fraction of the price? You know what I don’t miss? Commercials. I gave up cable and satellite TV years ago and I can’t imagine going back.

Netflix - Netflix is doing it right! It’s cheap at only $7.99 a month and they have original content like House of Cards and Marvel’s Daredevil. Their normal catalog is massive and has incredible variety.

Amazon Prime Instant Video - Prime has some catching up to do but what Netflix doesn't offer I can usually find on Prime. They have less original content than Netflix but you can’t ignore Alpha House and Bosch. It will cost you $99 a year for a membership in Prime.

HBO Now - This is a brand new service that just launched on April 7th, 2015. It will cost you $14.99 per month and is currently only available on Apple devices like the Apple TV, iPhone or iPad. It can also be used on any laptop or desktop computer.

Use apps to save money - Did you know there are apps available on your smartphone that can save you money?

GasBuddy - Saving money with this app is a breeze. It uses your GPS location to find the cheapest gas in your area.

ShopSavvy - This is a barcode scanner app that does price comparisons and will tell you which stores have the best prices.

Walmart Savings Catcher - Checks local competitor pricing and if it’s lower than what you paid you get an eGift Card for the difference.

Install a smart thermostat - It’s not only our phones that are getting smarter. Installing a learning thermostat in your home is one of the latest ways to save money.

Nest - Is a self learning and programmable thermostat for your home. Some nest users are claiming 20-30% savings over a conventional thermostat.

Money saving tips

Make your own lunch for work

Quit smoking (I did)

Stop buying lottery tickets and scratchers

Cook for yourself

Use the library instead of buying books

Buy non-perishables in bulk

Shop at thrift stores

Sell your unused crap

Stop buying games every time Steam has a sale. You’re not going to play most of them anyways.

[debtdeparture]

Best Personal Finance Books

I’m not much of a book reader, other than comic books, but I do love my audio books. I just recently finished The Millionaire Next Door by William D. Danko and Thomas J. Stanley. This book was packed with all sorts of interesting information about the rich and although a bit dry at times, I found it entertaining.

Suggested Reading

I follow a lot of personal finance and small business blogs and have come across some really great book suggestions. Here are some of the suggestions that made my Audible wish list.

The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller, Jay Papasan

The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich by David Bach

The One-Page Financial Plan: A Simple Way to Be Smart About Your Money by Carl Richards

I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

What are you reading?

I’m always looking for new book suggestions. I’m a big believer in self education and personal growth. What books are missing from my list? What is the one book that changed your view of personal finance?